Tag Archives: Australia

I’m excited to share the link for “Eating Disorders 101”. This 90-second animated video hits home core facts about eating disorders, dispels misconceptions and encourages help seeking. The National Eating Disorders Collaboration, on which I serve as a ‘voice’ for patients and carers, has created this simple, powerful message. Greater understanding about mental health and […]

The vacant seat beside me on a recent flight to New York meant I had room to spread out. This was a bonus. Other passengers were absorbed in watching movies on the little screens in front of them, or were snoozing, but I had work to do – a feast of short stories to read. […]

‘What is “knowing” someone?’ my dear friend, Laura, asks. I awoke this Sunday morning, in the south-east corner of Australia, far from the USA and England, and began reading Laura’s heartfelt tribute to Charlotte before I was even half-dressed and have been thinking about her words ever since. Such is the beauty and power of […]

Roll up, roll up, roll up your sleeve for science! Thousands of people who have experienced Anorexia Nervosa are doing just this. There is a great feeling of excitement and accomplishment in knowing that with every test tube filled, we each are contributing in a small but vitally important way to understanding and treating this […]

The US Government was in shutdown mode over budget indecision, the rain was falling, but none of this dampened the spirit of participants in the NEDC annual lobby day today in Washington DC. I joined the wonderful Maudsley Parents team of Harret and Rina, and Cheryl, and we met with three congressmen and the staff of […]

When I attended the NEDA Conference in Minneapolis in 2009 I did not know anyone. I was nervous and excited. Communication online had led to this point – and now suddenly there I was, about to meet people in real life, in person. This was scary. A warm welcome swept all doubts aside as soon […]

A jingle in Australia goes like this: C’mon Aussie, c’mon c’com, c’mon Aussie, c’mon. Its origin stems from our love of the summer game of cricket, of yelling as we watch balls being bowled and hit over the fence ‘for six’. It’s about doing our best. This national call is appropriate in bowling ED […]

Professor Stephen Touyz, of the University of Sydney, has been attending international conferences on eating disorders for more than 30 years in Europe, North America and Australia. But until last week in Brisbane, he had not attended a conference with a focus on carers and families. You could say that this conference has ‘made all […]

They are out of the shadows. They are silent no more. They are connecting and sharing on the Internet. They are packing their bags and attending conferences. They are not feeling shamed, or blamed or failures. They are feeling empowered, hopeful and engaged. They are families and carers of people with eating disorders. They are […]

The At Home with Eating Disorders Conference in Brisbane is, in one word, amazing. The conference opened this morning. A dream come true. From small things, big things can grow. In this instance, a widening awareness of the serious need to provide improved treatment and support for sufferers of eating disorders. The Brisbane conference is […]